Originally posted by Pappy:

Use a Stag breaker or an Iron sledge. No need to tear up the terrain, no need for a wishbone. Either will destroy the chests that *may* be buried below and their contents will rise to the surface once the chests break.

I already thought Stagbreaker was a fantastic early game weapon for clearing out Burial Chambers. The AoE damage can destroy anything lurking behind the next door without even opening it, but it never once occurred to me to break Viking Graveyard chests because the contents simply float to the surface.
Thanks, Pappy - best Valheim tip to date!